So what does dog training and juggling have in common, well on the surface not much. However when you think about how you might go about learning a new skill or hobby you would almost certainly begin in an environment you felt relaxed in and certainly with as few distractions as possible! This is where the similarities between learning a new skill and dog training cross over. Teaching your dog a new behaviour is certainly done best in a relaxed and quiet environment and then increasing the difficulty once they have learnt the behaviour, this will give your dog and you a bigger chance of success.
When I learnt to juggle I started with 2 balls and in my front room, I did not start juggling with 6 balls and in the pub: I wanted to give myself the best chance of success. So if you are teaching your dog recall for example, start at home, the garden, a rented enclosed field this will certainly give you much more success than starting at a busy park, woods or beach with too many distractions. Of course we want to build up to being in these locations but we need to build those foundations before we take it on the road…just like any new skill.
It is okay to drop the ball from time to time it is how we learn, so take your time, practice that new behaviour and take your time: good foundations build strong behaviours.
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